A Sheep in Wolf's clothing
by Melody Garnet
Summary: 'I will take away all your humanity. Without you, your precious King will fall.' Merlin is taken by a beast. Two years later, wolves roam the forest for the first time in ages and their Alpha is anything but normal. NO SLASH first Merlinfic
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: 'I will take away all your humanity. Without you, your precious King will fall.' Merlin is taken by a beast. Two years later, wolves roam the forest for the first time in ages. NO SLASH first Merlinfic**

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Merlin. There would be more Merlin's-Dead-But-He's-Really-Not-Stories™ and BAMF!Merlin if I did. And babydragoncuddling! And Mathhew Baynton ( he's cute).**

**A/N: Um, yeah, first Merlinfic. It's been a while since I wrote anything. I would appreciate knowing whether you guys want me to continue the story. Enjoy? **

Chapter 1

'For heavens' sake, go skin the game somewhere far away and out of the wind. I don't want animals near the camp and I don't want to spend the night smelling blood. Honestly, _Mer_lin, you'd think you've never skinned game before!', Arthur had snapped annoyed. Actually, it sounded less annoyed to Merlin than normal, but that _was_ the whole reason of this trip.

Being cooped up in the castle with the council looking over his shoulder hadn't exactly been good for Arthur's infamous Pendragon- temper. Of course, the council had insisted the King took his Knights with him. The Knights had fled and left Merlin alone with Arthur as soon as possible, claiming high and low they were following Arthur's orders to be left alone, rather than fleeing. Cowards. And they called themselves Knights! Merlin couldn't really blame them, though: Arthur's mood had been positively foul at the time.

It was better now; Merlin hadn't been stomping around on purpose as usual (Arthur' s theory _was_ correct, but Merlin wasn't planning on spilling the beans anytime soon) and Merlin even suspected Arthur was slightly spooked out by his unusual stealth. Merlin rolled his eyes. How else could he have been able to sneak around unnoticed as long as he had if he couldn't be quiet? Granted, Arthur didn't know about that, and there was that one time with Queen Annis, and that night with the Gorlois-sisters and the Serkets, but he wasn't as bad as, say, George. If that last wasn't a bloody miracle, of course.

Thinking back on Arthur's last comment, Merlin opened his mouth to murmur something under his breath that involved the words _Arthur_ and _prat_ and possibly _cabbagehead,_ when he heard a wolf howling. His mouth stopped halfway its movement.

An unnatural howl, very close by, while the sky was barely darkening- means trouble. Merlin swore. This was definitely _not good_ and probably magic. Things like that tended to happen on hunting trips.

Arthur called his name, sounding slightly concerned, and disturbingly faint. It was more an echo that a shout, really. Merlin picked up the game and began walking back quickly, kicking himself mentally for leaving Arthur alone. He hadn't even realized he'd wandered this far. Had he been that scatterbrained? To be honest, Merlin had just walked away from camp, barely noticing where he'd been going. He'd been thinking about the past few months. He hadn't even realized he'd been done skinning the game quite a while ago; he'd just gone through the motions. Arthur would be proud: the job had been perfectly done.

The wolf howled again, even closer now. Merlin suddenly realized something very _not good,_ that, for once, didn't concern Arthur, but himself. He was covered in blood and leaving a trail of it on the forest floor, since he was carrying the skinned game. He had to smell like a bloody banquet for the wolf. It was probably very hungry. This _was_ Merlin after all, his bad luck was famous. Merlin dropped the game unceremoniously and started to hurry.

Arthur called again and again, sounding more concerned by the minute and not even the slightest bit closer. Merlin answered the voice and followed it, up a tall hill with less trees. Maybe he could see the camp site from there and make a beeline for it.

He was at the hill's base when he heard the howl again, much louder and closer. Only now, it was accompanied with a fast- approaching cracking of branches and loud thumping of paws. Merlin began to run faster.

Yes, he had magic, but there was something _wrong_ in the atmosphere, oozing from the creature, even so far away. It made his hairs stand on end and his magic feel so off kilter and out of control, he feared for its trustworthiness. He had the distinct feeling that the wolf, or whatever had produced the howl and was radiating black magic, was after him and only him, lured by his powerful magic and somehow immune to it. Everything right now- his magic, the wolf, Arthur far away- felt _wrong._

Halfway up the hill, Merlin glanced over his shoulder and yelped, startled. He could see the creature at the foot of the hill; it _was_ a wolf- a black, huge shadow making its way towards him. Merlin began to run for his life.

Arthur shouted Merlin's name, pacing the camp site. Where was he? He'd been gone for a while. To be honest, Arthur hadn't liked letting Merlin out of his sight in the first place. Arthur had wanted to enjoy hanging out with his best friend and loyal manservant. And he'd sent him away with a snappish order, acting like a servant's master instead of Merlin's friend. Sometimes, Arthur couldn't help but silently agree with Merlin's comments about his mental capacity.

Now, with a strange wolf apparently roaming the forest and Merlin alone, defenceless, Arthur felt _fear._ Not for himself, but for Merlin. Agreed, he had his Knights, and he had Guinevere back now, too, but his life would be so empty without Merlin by his side.

The idea of Merlin, gone, was an idea too horrid for imagination. It was something he hadn't been able to face when Merlin had drunk that poison, early in their friendship, years back, and Merlin's choking noise behind his back had stopped his heart; not when he'd jumped right in the path of that Dorocha and Merlin had been so cold and still, Arthur had wanted to scream his throat sore; not when he'd been missing after the rock fall some months ago and Arthur had refused to believe Merlin had been killed by those bandits.

Arthur shouted again. After all his adventures with Merlin by his side, all those years, Arthur didn't think he would ever be able to face Merlin's death and not fall apart.

Then he heard Merlin shouting 'Arthur? I'm on my way, yeah?' and he was pulled away from his dark musings. It sounded far away, somewhere behind that distant hill over there. Arthur turned to it, just as another- closer- howl echoed through the forest. From the exact same direction Merlin was in.

The wolf howled again and again, closer, _towards_ Merlin. Panicked and terrified for his brother-in-bond, Arthur grabbed his sword and ran to the hill. He continued to call Merlin's name, but he got no answer back.

Closer and closer the howls came, but still far away. Now that Arthur thought about it, about as far away as Merlin's shout had been. He ran even faster, as fast as he could, but he had the feeling that something was wrong, that he wouldn't reach Merlin in time and something bad would happen. It was as if his instincts were battling his mind, chanting _'BACK, BACK, BACK!',_ where his mind wanted to save Merlin. He felt as if he was wading through ankle-deep water. Slow, too slow.

Merlin shouted a startled yelp somewhere behind the far away hill. Arthur ran.

The black wolf was closing in on him. It ran so much faster than him. It was enormous, only a bit smaller than a horse. Merlin shot a spell over his shoulder, right in its chest, but it only snarled and shrugged it off.

There was a determined, malicious gleam in its emerald-green, _human_ eyes, not unlike to what Morgause' s had looked like when she had left him to die. The wolf was a sorcerer and it was after him.

_'I'll make you lose all your humanity',_ a gleeful voice sang in Merlin's head. _'It will kill me, yes, but death is too good a punishment for your treason and your filthy _loyalty', it spat and added: 'And without you, your precious King will fall eventually.'

By now, it was right on Merlin's heels, just as the two of them reached the hilltop. Down below, Merlin saw Arthur running towards them, his sword in hand. 'ARTHUR!' Merlin yelled at the top of his lungs. _'O, look, we've got an audience. Even better. _Saygoodbye.' the voice sing-songed in his head.

With a vicious snarl, the beast was upon him.

Pain exploded in his shoulder. Merlin screamed. The beast flung him into a tree and Merlin hit his head against it. He was barely conscious when he felt the beast dragging him away by the arm. Merlin screamed and writhed, but it was no help.

The beast continued dragging him down the hill, away from Arthur, with apparently no effort. The metallic smell of his own blood overwhelmed Merlin and he had the violent urge to be sick. Blood from his head wound dripped in his eyes and turned his vision red. Merlin was barely hanging on to consciousness, losing his grip to reality fast.

Merlin sent this last thought to his destiny, his best friend, his King. 'I'm sorry, Arthur...' Then, as the beast tightened its grip on his shoulder, Merlin fell into darkness.

'ARTHUR!, Merlin yelled. Arthur looked up from scanning the forest floor for roots. There, on the top of the hill, was Merlin. Arthur thanked the gods. And then, his world stopped.

He couldn't move as he saw Merlin being bitten in the shoulder by a wolf the size of a horse, as Merlin was flung into a tree. Arthur's mouth hung open, his mind unable to comprehend what was happening. Merlin had never been anything but _all right_. Nothing ever happened to Merlin. But then, when the wolf dragged Merlin out of his sight, screaming, Arthur kick-started in action. Although he knew he was too far away, the wolf too quick for Arthur to catch him, he followed anyway.

And then he felt it: a warm, familiar presence in his mind. Through it, Arthur felt pain and sorrow and pride and love- Merlin. 'I'm sorry, Arthur…' Then the presence _died._ Arthur, realizing the meaning of both the presence's appearance and its fading, broke down. He stumbled and fell to his knees. A sorrowful wail tore itself from his lips: 'MERLIN!' Nothing answered, in his mind, nor through the woods.

He was alone. Arthur screamed and cried and clutched his chest desperately to hold himself together as his world fell apart around him.

_**Pain**_

_in the popping of his joints_

_in the breaking and remoulding of his bones_

_in the fire burning through his veins and on his skin_

_in the locking away of all that had made him, himself_

_in savageness_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A/N: Right, sorry this took me so long, but, bloody hell, this was hard. I've tried my best to get Arthur's way of thinking right. I'm very sure I did a poor job of it, I just can't get what's in my mind on paper right. Or on screen, anyway. So, here's what I was thinking. Arthur has such a hard time believing Merlin's dead, he convinces himself he isn't. Quite successfully, too, really. He now thinks Merlin's just ran away to escape his chores and has sent his knights after him. He has forced his mind to think and act unusually happy and as if nothing is wrong. Obviously, the fooling-your-own-mind-thing is a Pendragon way of coping with things.**

It had been one month, 30 days, since the hunting trip. More than anyone, Arthur knew how hopeless things were. Yet he kept on hoping. Hoping Merlin would turn up relatively unscathed, as goofy as he always was. He knew perfectly well what had happened: a beast had attacked Merlin and he had used magic, but only to say goodbye. Then he'd died. Arthur had _felt_ Merlin die. Arthur had cried for the loss of his best friend, then had yelled at Merlin for treason and for abandoning him, then grieved all over again. But when night fell, his survival instincts had kicked in, physically and mentally.

He persuaded himself that Merlin was fine, had no magic at all and had run away to escape his chores. He even thought and acted accordingly, sending search parties out to catch his runaway servant. As proven before, Pendragons can be very persuasive and are very good at fooling not only others, but themselves quite well too. Arthur very nearly believed his own foolery. Logic dictates such things cannot carry on for long, when the latter go directly against the first. For once, logic won in Camelot. It very nearly threw a party.

Arthur was brooding. He was staring into the roaring hearth, wondering when Merlin would stop his rather pathetic hiding. Merlin's not-presence was unsettling Arthur, making his theory of Merlin-fleeing-work-with-a-pathetic-excuse wobblier by the day. Why didn't Merlin come back already? Not that Arthur missed him terribly or something terribly unkingly and girly like that.

That was an awful lie. Even a hermit living isolated in a ditch somewhere far away, knew that that last thought was an awful lie. Arthur, though, wouldn't dare admit he was wrong, even if it could get Merlin to sing, which was -according to Guinevere- "the best laugh she had ever had". In Merlin's defence, he had been forced to drink that much, since "Gwen had made doe-eyes at me. Have you ever seen Gwen making doe-eyes at you and refused whatever she asked? Of course you didn't- no man can resist Gwen making doe-eyes at him, it overloads our system. Too cute, you see". Arthur would do almost anything to witness such a spectacle himself. Even though he perfectly understood Merlin's forced hand. Doe-eyes, indeed.

Two sharp knocks tore him from his musings, in a way Arthur recognized easily. Guinevere, his lovely Queen. Speaking of the devi- angel! Speaking of the angel (Arthur was new to the marrying-lark, but he did know it was not a very smart move to call your wife 'devil', even in thought. Women had ways to just know these things. The King of Camelot was as mystified- and slightly creeped out- by that as the next man).

No doubt she was here to talk to him about Merlin. She had been the only one who had not yet done so.

'Enter", Arthur said resigned.

'Arthur," Guinevere began tentatively once she had indeed entered, "we need to talk about Merlin".

"Yes, I suspected as much", Arthur answered wryly, "Might as well get it over with".

He gestured to the chair next to him. Guinevere breathed in deeply and sat down.

"Where do you think Merlin is?", she asked, though not in a condescending tone. No prejudices, that was new. Not for Guinevere, but it was for the subject. Many a noble had asked him about sending out search parties for his runaway servant, and all had sounded as if they thought Merlin wasn't worth it and the King was a fool for chasing him. Even his father hadn't had to bear overbearing nobles. No respect, the lot of them. Merlin's fault, of course. Everything always was.

" I don't know, " Arthur said seemingly uncaring, "he just ran away. Probably tried to escape his chores again. Laziest servant I've ever known, he is". This was not how Arthur usually talked, normally he talked a lot fancier. But around Guinevere, Merlin and Gaius, he could just be.

"Arthur, do you really think Merlin would do something as drastic as _run_ _away,_ in the middle of the forest, just so he doesn't have to do the chores he's been doing for _years?"_ Arthur could feel the fierce disbelieve radiating off his wife. He cringed inwardly and turned his eyes to the hearth again. She' d been Morgana' s handmaiden far too long; once she found something she thought was wrong, she would cling onto it. Like a bloody blood-hound.

"Yes?", Arthur tried and snuck a glance at Guinevere's face. Guinevere looked deeply disappointed. He couldn't hide a wince. He was in for it now, one way or another.

"Arthur," she said softly, "give me one time Merlin was away".

"There was that one time when Merlin spent two days in the tavern..." Arthur trailed off when he saw Guinevere frown.

"Merlin hasn't visited the tavern since I got him to sing like a sailor _years_ ago!", she said slowly, "When was this?"

"About three days after I found him when he was captured by bandits near the Valley of the Fallen Kings, do you remember? I punished him for it, of course, made him follow servant lessons for a week."

Arthur saw a flash of recognition in her eyes and then her face darkened.

"You. Punished. Merlin?", Guinevere all but hissed through her teeth.

"Yes?" Arthur quickly changed the subject: " You know, him going to the tavern right after recovering from a near- fatal wound, proves once again that Merlin can survive just about anything." Arthur glanced at Guinevere, hoping it would distract her from whatever dark thoughts she'd been having about him punishing Merlin.

It had, but not in the way he had hoped.

Guinevere had her face in her hands, sighing. "Might as well tell you", she mumbled.

Arthur certainly did not like the sound of that.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N: I know that the last chapter is, by all accounts, rubbish. I just thought the Pendragons own a bloody castle on the banks of that river in Egypt! It made sense to me that Arthur would deny Merlin's death as fiercely as he denied his friendship with him. You know, Uther- style: " I did not lose my wife because I asked for a son, no let's blame magic itself!" Or in this case, Merlin's supposed uselessness. The git.**

**Right, so this chapter should be better. I hope. A lot of dialogue. I'm not very good at that... Gulp. Cheers!**

_Guinevere had her face in her hands, sighing. "Might as well tell you", she mumbled._

_Arthur certainly did not like the sound of that._

There was a long silence, filled only with the roaring of the fire in the hearth. Arthur's forced lightness died a silent death. He didn't dare ask what Guinevere had kept from him that got her so desperate. He couldn't stand it. Not again. Yet, he had to know, hadn't he?

"What?", Arthur asked, even though he had the feeling he didn't want to know.

Guinevere sighed and started talking, forcibly calm.

"Right, I'll tell this from the beginning. When you lost Merlin to the bandits, did you have any hope of them leaving Merlin alone?"

"Of course not, they're bandits after all!"

"Yet they did. Why?"

"How should I know the reasoning of the vermin? Probably thought he would die anyway."

Guinevere nodded and hummed. "And when you last saw Merlin, was he able to walk very far?"

"Gods, no. I had to carry him! Against his will, too. He thought it was the time to make jokes about leaving him behind." Arthur huffed affronted. As if he would ever let that happen!

"So, he couldn't possibly have walked into a bog close to Camelot, having no problems doing so, as if he hadn't been struck by a maze? Even though he _was_ and he should, by all accounts, have bled to death, alone, not that far from the Valley of the Fallen Kings?"

Arthur had no idea what, exactly, Guinevere had just asked him. He played safe by making a noncommittal sound. Guinevere sent him a pitying look. He blushed. Busted, dammit! Again, there was a long silence.

"Merlin's wound was healed before you found him. With magic.", Guinevere said at last. Arthur's world started slipping sideways again. All his false cheer for nothing.

_ItwasthestrangewolfMerlin'...!_

"Morgana had healed him. The bandits were sent by her. She healed him and...sort-of enchanted him, I guess you could say."

His world righted itself again as Arthur breathed in, relieved. _Of course Merlin's not a sorcerer I knew it!_ _... Hang on... _Arthur jumped up from his chair.

" What do you mean, 'sort-of enchanted him'? What did she do to him?"

Guinevere looked at her hands in her lap. No longer able to contain her nervousness, she started rambling: " She had this weird snake with nine heads, I think, and when you cut off one of the heads, it grows back again and when you then let that head bite someone, that someone must obey all your commands if they like it or not, which they don't, of course and-"

"Guinevere", Arthur said. Guinevere stopped rambling and gave Arthur a concerned look. He' d paled during her speech, had sat down again and was now digging his nails into the armrests. Merlin bitten by a magical snake, obeying all of Morgana' s orders? Gods, why had they kept this from him?

"Explain again, slowly: what was it with the snake- bite and what order did Morgana give?"

Guinevere looked disgusted. "The snake-head bit its way into Merlin's neck and _stayed_ there. Merlin-" She gulped, as if to keep back bile. "Merlin was conscious." Arthur felt utterly disgusted and angry. It must have been torture! If he ever lay his hands on Morgana, damn her! Arthur almost didn't want to ask, but-

" The order was to kill me, wasn't it?" Guinevere nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"What did he do?" Guinevere looked doubtingly. " I can't exactly arrest him now, can I? Even if I could, I wouldn't. You know that." She nodded and started summing up Merlin's pitiful assassination attempts.

" He tried poison. Something to do with a crossbow in your wardrobe, too. An acid bath..." Arthur's wife suddenly turned a lovely shade. The King himself remembered perfectly the time his not-yet-wife had forbid him to bathe. Only now, he understood why. That, though, didn't keep him from blushing too.

" O, I forgot:", she said, "before the bath, he tried to stab you in the back with your own ceremonial sword. Merlin's try at poetic murder, I guess." They both chuckled at that.

"How did it stop? Did you cut out the snake-head?", Arthur asked.

She shook her head: " We tried that. It grew back. We didn't realise until, well, the bath... After that, Gaius sedated the snake. That worked, for a while. We had Merlin back, but he claimed he didn't remember anything that had happened. And he really didn't remember anything that had happened since you found him, though I could tell he did remember the snake." Guinevere stopped talking and hugged herself, looking smaller. "I asked Gaius what to do to make it stop for good. He said the only way was to find out wherever Morgana was hiding, get past her and kill the mother-beast. When Merlin disappeared and you thought he'd gone to the tavern, I thought at first Merlin had gone and tried just that. But then I realised that Merlin could never find Morgana before the sedative stopped working and he'd be controlled again. And that Merlin must have realised that too."

Guinevere was shaking and Arthur sat himself on his knees in front of her and embraced embrace her, although he didn't understand why she was trembling.

"For two days- for two days I thought Merlin had killed himself, to stop himself from killing you. It was something Merlin would do for you." Arthur stiffened. "Yes he would, wouldn't he?", he whispered softly. He hugged Guinevere closer. _Merlin would never leave me for a month. Not like that. He hadn't run away. He was-_

" I don't know how he did it,", said Guinevere suddenly, "I never dared to ask, but- after those two awful days, he came back. The snake-head was still in his neck- it's now in a jar on one of the shelves in Gaius' rooms- but he was all right. No enchantment. I heard from Elyan they found an old sorcerer in the woods who claimed that you would be killed if they kept him from wherever he was going. I think he helped him. Merlin's best friend growing up was a sorcerer. I don't think Merlin's as suspicious of them as we are. He never told me though, and I never asked." She looked him in the eye:

"That's why I was angry you punished him for going _to the tavern,_ of all things. He was probably planning on killing himself, until that sorcerer turned up- or something. It were probably two _awful_ days for him, and you thought he was getting drunk..." She shook her head. "You should know better."

"Why are you telling me now?" Arthur asked Guinevere. Tears began to form in her eyes.

" Merlin has proven time and again he would do _anything_ for you. I think Merlin wouldn't have just left, after so long. I think something happened a month ago, something so bad you haven't told any of us and probably tried to convince yourself it didn't happen. You've never acted this careless, certainly not about Merlin."

Arthur didn't meet her eyes. She ducked her head until they looked each other in the eyes. " What happened?", she asked softly. The dam broke. Crying, Arthur told her everything. Every thought, every _suspicion. _After that, they both grieved and talked about Merlin; about his courage and mystery and goofiness and – well- _Merlinness._

King and Queen were both so distracted in their grieving, in trying to figure things out, they didn't hear a certain old physician enter the chamber. He had heard everything. And when the King asked his Queen: "He has kept the enchantment secret, saying he had gone to the tavern. How many times has he _not_ gone to the tavern and was he a hero without anyone knowing it?", he answered: "More times than I can remember, Sire." And he told them every time he could.

The next day, the truth of Merlin's disappearance during the hunting trip was revealed to the court and Merlin was announced dead, for if he hadn't come back to Camelot already- and with his power, although that wasn't revealed outside the Round Table until much later- he never would. He was given a Knight's burial, similar to Sir Lancelot's before him. A week later, King Arthur made work of subtly reintroducing Magic to his Kingdom. He had learned the truth. Magic was returned to the land, Merlin's destiny was fulfilled.

Too bad he wasn't there to see it.

**A/N: Few, that was that. Sorry if the ending's a bit rushed, it was late when I wrote it. Um, the wolves- thing from the summary will be explained in the next chapter. The end isn't near yet. Far from it, actually. **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**A/N: All right, you lot, thanks for the reviews and alerts and stuff. Really, they're brilliant and so are you!**

**I have to warn you that whatever I write here about wolves and their behaviour is FICTION. I haven't got a bloody cue on how they'd act, I' m just guessing. Nobody likes a cleverclogs, so please don't go correcting me on it. As for everything else: correct all you want (my real-life, kind-of-really-smart beta- a.k.a. a friend- is busy with college-life)! Reviews are reviews, right? **

**Enjoy.**

It was early summer when the pack encountered the strange black wolf for the first time. One of the pups had run away in search of an adventure and hadn't returned yet. The pack was quite worried, when suddenly, he was back. The young pup was yipping excitedly, running to all the wolves to show he was back again. All family members hudled around him to see how he was. Beside the scratches and wounds, the Alpha immediately noticed something off on him, very faintly. Something he'd felt once before in an abandoned druid camp (though he of course didn' t know what the site was called): magic. How could that be?

The pup seemed to be pointing at something beyond the edge of the clearing they were in. Alpha turned and looked. As if on cue, a big black wolf trotted into the light. His eyes were a brilliant blue and his fur was smooth and well kept. He looked strong and healthy, even though he was alone. He emanated magic and enormous power already, yet his instict told Alpha that it was not all free yet. Alpha quickly stepped between him and the pack protectively, though he knew that a wolf as big and strong as the one before him, could beat him easily. Yet, the stranger bowed before the Alpha, showing his friendliness. The Alpha accepted the stranger's request. The stranger slid past him and towards the pup. The pup stepped out of the circle the worried pack had formed around him and nuzzled the stranger's neck thankfully. The stranger licked the pup's scratches, bowed once more to the Alpha and left.

The second time they met, it was in far dire circumstances.

The bear had surprised them when it had interrupted them right after a succesful hunt, but it was not a new occurence. Bears did sometimes try to steal prey by scaring off the wolves, when they were not numerous. Upon seeing they would never scare the bear itself away instead with only two adult wolves, they had given up the just-caught prey (a young deer) from the hunting-lesson. They had backed off, but stayed near. The bear had only taken one careful bite before it roared and attacked them furiously, for seemingly no reason at all.

Alpha growled defensively and then lunged to bite the bear. He missed and got a swipe of the threatening bear's claws for trying. Behind him, the pups he'd taken with him to learn how to hunt where cowering. They had good reason: the bear was bigger than any Alpha had ever seen. The second wolf attacked and he, too, got hit by the bear for his effort. Both wolves laid dazed on the ground, struggling to get up.

It was no good. Without the rest of the pack, they were vastly outnumbered. Alpha howled for help and signaled the pups to run. Maybe they could get away without catching the bear's attention. The pups did as asked, but only got halfway into safety before the enormous bear turned to them. As one, the two wolves attacked the bear's turned back to protect the young ones. The two were not at full strength after the hit they had both taken, though, and it shrugged them off easily. They could hardly move after that. It was over.

Then, out of nowhere, a loud growl sounded from the bushes behind the cowering whelps, and an enormous shadow jumped over them and pounced the bear. The cry for help had been answered. The bear roared and fell on his back from the momentum of the leap. The shadow went for the bear's neck immediately, scratching and growling. The fight was over within minutes.

Panting, nuzzle soaked with blood, the shadow stood up from the corpse. One of the pups barked happily. He went to their saviour and nuzzled the strange shadow's neck. It turned out to be the blue-eyed, black-furred rescuer of said pup a while ago.

This time, Alpha did the smart thing. He asked the stranger to join the pack. The stranger agreed. Without a fight, for the better of the pack, the stranger became Alpha soon after.

**A/N: The bear attacked because its jaw was infected. He couldn't eat and the pain and hunger turned him stir-crazy. It has happened before with a lion somewhere in Africa. Blame NGC for inspiring me to use it.**

**Also, I have noticed my chapters aren't as long as I'd thought they were. I'll try to make them a bit longer in the future.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**A/N: Low and behold, I discovered the horizontal line!**

Merlin hated it when sorcerers got creative. True, it spiced his life up a bit, but, gods, did it make his job hard. When he'd been dragged away by a vengeful sorcerer in magic-immune fur, he had expected a lot of things. Being eaten alive ? Yes. Slow, painful death? That too. Waking up to find yourself a wolf, and the Alpha male of a pack? Not so much.

His appearance could have been worse though. Shiny black fur, blue eyes- his own, thank the gods!- and a strong build. Very strong build. Merlin knew he was bigger than any wolf, but not as big as the sorcerer. His senses were better- including something he called "his sixth-disaster-sense", which was somehow very connected to Arthur and made itself known whenever he got in trouble. He had first felt it in Camelot, nagging in the back if his mind, but now it was as clear as day and he imagined it sounded a bit like the Camelot warning bells in his head. He even could feel how far away Arthur was; it felt as if the invisible tie between them tugged at him or relaxed. It was a very strange feeling. In a way, the sorcerer's sacrifice to punish Merlin wasn't for naught. Feeling Arthur this strongly and knowing that he would never see Arthur again- that he was unable do a damn thing when his best friend and his _home_ needed help- was more painful than should be possible. Being a wolf had somehow strengthened the ties between King and Warlock. It had something to do with being closer to nature, the source of magic- being wild. Merlin was fast and light-footed now, and very good at hunting. He couldn't help but be a little bit grateful that the sorcerer had somehow managed to remove his clumsiness. He would have starved otherwise. Arthur would be glad Merlin finally understood and shared his love for hunting if he came back.

_When. _When he came back. Because he would. Only not now. Unlike his memory and human mind, his magic hadn't snapped back after seeing Camelot's tower for the first time in gods know how long. He discovered the cave was about half a day away from Camelot when they had been desperate for food and gone hunting farther then usual.

He had led them there as Alpha, which- surprisingly- had happened without too much of a fight, contrary to what Merlin had once read in of Gaius' books. Wolves, apparently, had common sense and knew when to pick a fight, something not many of Merlin's acquaintances could say, himself included. Why that was, Merlin had no idea. Anyway, taking on someone so much bigger and stronger than you, would have never been the smart thing to do. The -blocked, dammit!- magic that one could feel in the air around him, might have also helped. Not that he could use it back then.

No, Merlin's magic _dripped_ back into his control after his awakening. Drip by drip, day by day, Merlin slowly regained his magic. A year after "waking up", Merlin could control it as before, even though he couldn't change back. The first time he'd tried, he'd slept for a day, but there was no change. Once every week- Merlin had a surprisingly busy schedule for a wolf leader; they always ran out of food- Merlin would train to control his magic. It worked quite well, to Merlin's surprise. What surprised Merlin even more, though, was the fact that after he had become as powerful as before he was changed, _the magic kept coming_.

* * *

><p>It was winter in Camelot, and -Merlin suddenly realised- a year since he'd awoken on the desperate hunt for food. It was also, Merlin thought, around his birthday, as he'd been born in winter. Just in case, he sang 'Happy Birthday' to himself every day before his daily checkup.<p>

Merlin had developed this habit to do a daily check on Arthur quite quickly after figuring out the bond between Arthur and him, by closing off all his other senses to pour magic into his sixth one. One day, Merlin felt something strange. Something he had not yet felt: the tie loosened considerably. Arthur was coming his way. Merlin was incredibly exited: he had a chance to _see_ Arthur. He'd do everything for just a glimpse, even though he knew it would pain him afterwards. He would go find Arthur.

Merlin nearly forgot all about his pack, but before he ran off to find Arthur he told them. He sent a rush of magic their way, a signal they knew meant _Away for magic, I'll be back_. His Beta, the previous Alpha, whom he called Leon for his second-in-command-skills, bumped his shoulder. _Okay_. Merlin left.

He found Arthur using the tie: he'd pour more magic into his bond, then ran around to see if it tensed or loosened. It was a bit exhausting, but as soon as Merlin got the hang of it, it was easy. It took a few hours, but Merlin found him. As soon as he was on the trail Arthur left behind him, Merlin released his magic on the tie. He recharged his magic by concentrating on the life around him, grounding himself, binding his very being to the earth. When he was at full capacity again- and Gods, didn't that sound disrespectful considering how magnificent it was?- Merlin let loose and then made himself invisible. Arthur was probably hunting; the gods would have such a laughing fit from the irony, they'd choke in it if Arthur shot him, thinking he was just another wolf.

When Merlin finally caught on, he did it both literally and figuratively. Arthur was sitting on a hilltop Merlin recognized as the one where they'd last seen each other. Before him stood a stone and Arthur seemed to be talking to it. _Arthur is visiting my gravestone_, Merlin thought horrified and a little bit giddy. Everyone wondered what would happen after they were gone, and Merlin could actually know: his best friend would still visit his gravestone, even though "it" had happened at least more than a year and a half ago ( he'd been changed in summer), the hilltop was a bit less than half a day's walk from Camelot and it was_ winter_. A warm rush of affection went through Merlin. _Oh, Arthur. You've never forgotten me._ Then he thought, _Hang on, it's the first time he's visited my gravestone. Why? _Curious, Merlin circled the hill to see Arthur's face, crept as close as he could and entranced his hearing.

" -a great celebration. Gwaine was delighted when he heard. He' d almost stopped drinking, you know, after you… Only does it when there' s a party now, and even then he never drinks enough to get drunk. Of course, that's still an awful lot more than any other man can take without getting utterly sloshed!" Arthur chuckled and Merlin had to make an effort to not bark-laugh aloud. "I asked Gaius if he knew any magical jugglers for the feast. He said he knew a man or two who weren't all too bad with magic and trusted me enough to give me the benefit of doubt that it was _not_ a trick. I knew there was something fishy about that Gilli-kid. He looked too much like you to be such a good swordsman. Turns out he's more alike to you than I thought. A magic ring indeed."

Merlin's heart stopped beating. Arthur knew. Of course that wasn't new- Merlin had outed himself by saying goodbye to Arthur _in his mind_- but _this_. Magic wasn't illegal. And Arthur was so casual about it all! Gaius had apparently told him all of his _very_ heroic deeds (if he said so himself) and Arthur had accepted him and his magic. Maybe he hadn't failed his destiny, Merlin hoped. It brought him such a sense of peace, Merlin basked in it's glory. _He hadn't failed._ There was a long silence before Arthur began talking again, sad now.

"I wanted you to know, you know. What I wouldn't give to have you witness it." Arthur's voice sounded so wistful, it hurt. "_The Falcon Feast_, I called it. It's for you. From now on, on your birthday -which, although you never told me, you secretive idiot, I know is in two weeks- the Falcon Feast will be held to celebrate the lifting of the ban on magic. No-one knows yet why I'm holding it. Magic hasn't been explicitly illegal in Camelot since about a month after you" his voice broke "_died_ but, oh, to make it official. I've been busy the last two and a half years" –_How long?_, Merlin screeched in his mind- " telling all our allies about it in secret. They all were so overjoyed to hear it, praising me for being such a different king from my father, so accepting...' 'Every single one of them is invited to the Falcon Feast to celebrate the official lifting of the ban, but even they don't really know why I'll lift it. Only Queen Annis and King Bayard guessed, though that doesn't surprise me in the least. They saw you in person, didn't they? You and your loyalty."

A long silence. Arthur chuckled.

" I'm going to make you nobility, you know. You'd hate it, but you were nobility already, weren't you- a Dragonlord, no less! Hunith can finally stop feeling guilty for living like a Lady in the castle, being the proud mother of 'Lord Merlin, First Advisor and High Court Sorcerer of Camelot'. Not that she wasn't proud already.'

'I know it's far too late to make a difference, but I want it this way. I can finally do what I've been wanting to do for years: two seats at my side. Your' s and Guinevere's. _Gods_, I miss you. I wish you could be there." Silent tears were rolling down Arthur's cheeks now. Merlin was incredibly touched. He promised Arthur silently that he would be there. Merlin would use the two weeks he had left until his birthday and the feast that was secretly in his honour - Merlin giggled in his mind and kicked himself for it- to try and absorb as much magic as he could, so he could spend a day in Camelot and the feast by Arthur's side. He would be there, he wouldn't miss it for the world.

Eventually, Arthur regained his composure. He started talking again, about the Knights and Gwen and Gaius, about Camelot. Arthur talked and Merlin listened until the sky darkened and the first snow started to fall softly. It was pretty easy to see that Arthur hadn't expected it to snow, even though Merlin had felt it coming for a while. As soon as Arthur noticed the first snowflake, he shot up and cursed colourfully. Merlin's ears would have turned pink had he been human. When Arthur quickly took his bag and started making his way back to Camelot, Merlin realised the danger Arthur was in: Camelot was too far away. Arthur had wasted too much time at the hilltop; Arthur would have to sleep in the forest. And with the unexpected snow... Arthur would freeze to death if he didn't find shelter. It didn't take Merlin long to decide what to do. It did, though, take him slightly longer to figure out a way to go about it.

* * *

><p>Arthur stumbled over a tree root. He wasn't all there after such an emotional day for him- a day entirely dedicated to a lost old friend- and he hadn't seen the root in the faint light. It was also half-covered by the now fast-falling snow. The first snow of winter had become a first snowstorm. Add that to the facts that Camelot was too far away even in good weather conditions, it was now just past nightfall and Arthur only had his cape to cover him... He was doomed and it was all Merlin's fault. Why did he have to have a gravestone in the middle of the bloody woods? That he had ordered it himself, Arthur conveniently forgot. Instead, Arthur continued complaining to himself and walking.<p>

Walking and walking, onwards, even though he didn't know where that was. No way to orientate yourself in a snowstorm, now is there? Arthur just followed his instinct. He felt that slight tug in the pit of his stomach that he associated with the kind of things Merlin liked to say I told you so about afterwards if he hadn't listened to him. Things concerning a stinking stepmother of a troll ( in exactly that word-order) or a pesty, gold-licking goblin. Or his lovely Guinevere. Guinevere was the only thing Merlin had the right to say I told you so about. Arthur was magnanimous like that and they did get to know each other through Merlin. Gods, he was already half-hallucinating from the cold, wasn't he, allowing a dead man- Merlin, of all people- say I told you so while he was King? He'd never hear the end of it.

Once again, Arthur tripped and this time, he fell to the ground. He was exhausted. He' d been busy arranging the Falcon Feast for weeks and the mental exhaustion of working up the courage to visit Merlin's gravestone for the first time right up until the moment he'd said 'Hello, idiot' - it had taken a lot out of him. Arthur was a warrior and could take battle after hardship after battle if it was needed. Feelings, however, were not his forte. Arthur pretended that this particular shiver was due to the cold. Not his forte at all. And now with the snow... Arthur didn't know how long he could carry on.

Then, out of nowhere, a shining blue orb appeared. It was so familiar... Where did he recognize it from? It was somewhere dark, wasn't it? No light or warmth, desperation, the impending death of both you and ... Merlin. Arthur reached for it, the little light that had saved him and Merlin and when he did, the orb floated to him. It floated right past his outstretched arm and into his chest. As soon as the orb had molten into his chest, Arthur felt what he'd only felt once before, on one of his darkest days, only so much better: love, fondness, trust, friendship, pride- Merlin. And warmth. A warmth and resolution that spread through Arthur like burning gold and Arthur thought fleetingly This is what magic must feel like. The initial torrent of gold stopped and instead, there came a gentle flow of it. Arthur dug deep and with the help of what he thought must be either magic, a ghost, a hallucination, or a bit of each, he stood up and walked on.

Not long after that, Arthur's instinct led him to a cave. He stood at the entrance, hesitating. It was not smart to enter a cave alone or unharmed, there could be bears or wolves or something. Arthur couldn't quite remember clearly, exhausted and running on his last reserves as he was. To be on the safe side Arthur's hand went to Excalibur, the sword that never left his side, as trustworthy as Merlin always had been. It wasn't really a good trade, Arthur's addled mind thought, the best sword for the best friend. When his hand lay itself upon Excalibur's handle, however, something warm touched his hand briefly. Confused, Arthur looked down. A black wolf that came up to his thigh with strangely familiar blue eyes looked up at him and, holding his gaze, shook his- its- his head. Arthur pulled his hands away from the sword. The wolf grinned. Or did wolves do that all the time? Arthur's left hand petted the wolf's head of its own accord and, again, Arthur had the feeling this had happened before somehow, in a different way. It was all very confusing. Arthur continued looking at the dark cave entrance and petting the wolf's head

The gold was starting to fade away now and Arthur shivered. As soon as he did, the wolf looked at him sharply. He nudged him towards the cave entrance and Arthur went through it. The wolf pushed Arthur towards the back of the cave and then, at the very end, turned him sharply to the right, through a tunnel and in another room. In the room, Arthur felt other presences, other wolves. He couldn't see, of course- too dark- but from the noises he could discern above the howling wind and snow outside (which was actually a lot, since they were quite a bit away from the entrance) the other wolves were standing up surprised, making threatening noises towards the intruder. The wolf- his wolf- slipped past Arthur and, without making a sound, Arthur had the feeling he'd issued an order, since all the wolves laid back down almost without a sound.

Arthur's wolf tugged him towards what he thought was maybe the middle of the room. Arthur crashed to the ground, half-frozen and exhausted. He had just enough sense to lay down his bag to use as a cushion. He shifted his cape so it could be used as a blanket. Arthur's wolf lay itself down close beside him. Arthur briefly saw two specks of gold, before he felt the golden warmth wash over him again- warming him just enough to be comfortable. Sleepily, Arthur wondered why it was so cold compared to the former warmth, until he felt another wolf shift itself against his back and share body-heat. When his wolf did the same on the other side, somehow making Arthur feel safe and protected and loved dearly, Arthur understood. The shared heat from the wolves- his wolf even somehow giving him not just heat but warmth- would get him through the night splendidly.

Sleepy, warm and strangely content Arthur threw an arm over his wolf and snuggled closer, pushing his face into the soft fur on the wolf's shoulder. If this is a hallucination to introduce me to death, Arthur thought hazily and a bit less eloquently, I might as well make myself comfortable.

Before Arthur finally fell asleep he could feel a fond whisper murmuring_ 'Prat...'_ in his mind. _'Idiot...'_ Arthur whispered back. He slept.

* * *

><p>Later, Arthur would wake up to an empty cave. With a heavy heart, he would leave. His Knights would find him on his way back to Camelot, all pleasantly surprised their King had survived the night. With great haste, they would bring him back to home. None of the riders, not even Arthur, would see the wolf pack watching them ride away. None of them would notice how the leader of the pack, a black wolf, would still be standing there long after they were out of sight, whishing he could somehow explain and change and go back home with them. They would, however, hear the howl sent towards the low, white sky and Arthur would turn in his saddle, gaze at the direction the howl had come from and feel his heart break a little for the lone wolf with a pack, but without a family.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello, thank you all for the reviews, you guys are amazing. So, this chapter may have a sudden start. And no Falcon Feast. Sorry?**

**Enjoy.**

It was Merlin's birthday and the day of the feast. He was just about to depart to Camelot and asking Mother Earth for power he did not yet have when something in him shifted. Painfully.

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><p>Molten gold coursing through his veins, hot like a fire. Tendrils of the liquid fire licked his mind and heart, burning him.<em> 'Help me,<em>' he cried,_ 'please, someone help me! It burns. Gaius, Mother, Arthur, Gwen! Father, Aithusa, Kilgarrah, please! Help me! It hurts so much- I'm burning! The fire- it's eating me- please! Help me, please! Kilgarrah- the fire! Please... Help me...'_

_'Merlin? Merlin? I will! I will. Merlin...'_

Merlin fainted.

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><p>When he came to, it was to a very familiar face. ' You always manage to surprise me, young warlock', Kilgarrah said smiling down upon him, 'Though I must say I am happy to be surprised by you once more. The world thought you dead and it was indeed an empty world'. Merlin, overjoyed to see an old friend, jumped up and ran towards the Dragon to run his nuzzle against his chest: 'Kilgarrah! I am so glad to see you!', he barked. Kilgarrah let out a loud booming laugh. 'And I you, my kin!' he said fondly and he lowered his head. They stayed contently in this strange embrace for a while, until, with a solemn sigh, Kilgarrah raised his head again. 'I felt your change and heard your plea for help. The fire you felt, were your Dragonlord-powers returning to you. These powers are not meant to course through inhuman blood, and your wolf-body reacted violently. As soon as I heard your cry, I tried to dampen the pain, but that would mean dampening your powers. As I am a servant to your powers, I could not lessen your pain. For that, I am sorry'.<p>

'Don't be', Merlin said to him, 'You came, didn't you? I couldn't be more grateful. With you, at least, I can talk. With Arthur, I couldn't. It would hurt us both too much. He is better off thinking I am dead, than a wolf. He doesn't need me anyway. He has accepted Magic and is a great king. He is fulfilling his destiny without me. He doesn't need me anymore'. He sounded more like he was convincing himself, and failing miserably. The Great Dragon shook his head: 'You and I both know that is not true. You need each other, your destinies lie together. Even I, distant as I am from your life in Camelot, know that you are each other's rock. Your friendship balances you. It still does'. Merlin knew this. Why else did he have this bond with Arthur, why else did Arthur visit his gravestone? They still cared, and missed each other dearly.

'You are not very surprised your powers returned to you, young warlock. Why is that?'

'Today, a great feast will be held in Camelot', Merlin said, 'The ban on magic will be officially lifted. I overheard Arthur saying it was secretly in my honor, as it is my birthday, and he wished I could be there. I promised myself I would. I think he will reveal who I really was and what I have done for Camelot. To have recognition for my sacrifices... I wouldn't miss it for the world. But I will need a lot of magic to witness the feast without being seen. So I asked Mother Earth to give me as much magic as I needed. To show her why, I connected her to my bond. Drawing magic from the land is easier if you ask her help nicely. She must have thought I would need you' .

Kilgarrah stared at him for a long moment. Then he said, with a thoughtful hum: 'Indeed...'. Merlin frowned. 'Kilgarrah?' 'Mother Earth, as you call her, knows of your destiny now? She knows you will bring her peace and a Golden Era should you be rejoined with your other half?', Kilgarrah asked. 'I guess', Merlin answered bewildered, 'Kilgarrah, what-?'. Kilgarrah laughed long and loud- a happy, victorious sound Merlin had not heard before. His old friend sounded so young and free, Merlin guessed this was what one could hear in the clouds above Albion long before the Great Purge- when Dragons and their young Dragonlords soared through the high blue skies just for the thrill of it. He remembered wishfully the first time he had sat upon Kilgarrah's back and flown.

'It seems, Merlin, Mother Earth has given you exactly what you and her, both, want and need', the Great Dragon answered him. 'You're talking in riddles again, Kilgarrah!' Merlin scolded. 'On the contrary, it is clear as day. The land whishes you to fulfill your destiny. For that, you have to become human again'. He continued:

'She has helped you by telling you where to look, but she has not helped you any further. She wants you to succeed yourself. Mother Earth is a mother indeed!' If that was how a mother worked, then truly Kilgarrah was one as well, Merlin thought amused. Then his mind kicked in and Merlin's legs gave out. He sank to the ground, astounded and hopeful. 'I can become human again?' he whispered. No. He couldn't, could he? Not without anyone dying. The change had cost the sorcerer his life, but not only the sorcerer's.

Merlin had once scent a trail of wrong magic on a hunt, and followed it. He had found a round area, half a mile in diameter, which all other animals avoided and where nothing grew anymore- a scar in the earth that reeked of death and black magic. At the center of it, he had found the bones of an enormous wolf, the sorcerer's remains. Merlin could feel nothing but pity for the deluded man, but was angry at the price his delusion had cost nature. Merlin would not allow such destruction, not ever.

'No. How could I change back, without anyone or anything dying? The change... It costs too much. I have seen it. There is not enough power...' Then, Merlin figured out Mother Earth's clues. 'I need you, don't I? A Dragon is, after all, the most powerful magical creature'. To which Kilgarrah replied: 'And you are the most powerful warlock. Yet, there is more power needed to change you harmlessly.'

_'More_ power?, Merlin yelled, 'What other power is strong enough? Life, the Earth? I refuse to hurt my Mother, be she my mother in blood or otherwise!'

'No one shall be hurt!' Kilgarrah thundered. Then he calmed and said: 'Think, my Lord'.

Merlin thought. Then he said: 'When Arthur was beside me and slept close to me in the cave, I felt complete. I felt more powerful than I had ever felt before, as the bond between us was sated. You were right. Destiny is the greatest force, and a shared one even more so. We must get close to Arthur, or him close to us. Then, maybe, if the gods are willing and Fate smiles down upon us, we shall see if the powers of a shared destiny and its herald are enough to change me back' .

'I have taught my pack not to attack humans if not threatened first, and the wards I have set around the cave would hold after my death- I am certain they will hold after I am changed. The previous Alpha shall be given back his place in the pack before I leave. My pack will be safe and led well; I will not have to worry for them. Both my family in Camelot and my pack in its forest shall be protected. That is nothing less than what I wish. Tonight, I hope I shall have it'.

Merlin had the strange feeling he finally was acting as the true stuff of legends, as _Emrys_. And, ever himself, he broke the tension by saying : 'Well then, it'll be quite a busy night!'

* * *

><p>Merlin had no idea how true that statement was.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**A/N: Once again, no reunion. But: the feast! We' re getting closer, people. Gods, I feel awful for keeping you so hung up.**

Immediately, Merlin called the pack together. Once every one was present he sent them a clear message. The pack, safe inside a magical shield, led by Leon- _I will no longer be here to guide you, but you will still be protected._ Above that, each received a warmth associated with affection. Especially the one Merlin had baptised Gilli, the adventurous whelp he'd saved back in the days- an orphan and all but his adoptive son. He'd miss him more than the rest, although the young Gwaine-as-a-wolf landed him in trouble a wolf shouldn't be able to cause. Merlin now completely understood Gaius; he even had developed nearly exactly the same relationship with Gilli as his guardian had with him. After all, no one was to know what dangerous (and frankly embarrassing) mess Merlin had saved him from- his stupidity could have caused not only his demise but the others' as well, and wolves are not known for sentimentality if the pack is or was in danger. It could still get him thrown out of the pack. Merlin could do nothing but hope he had changed and Merlin had taught him enough.

Gilli, whimpering, "hugged" Merlin and Merlin did the same- one last time. He retreated again into the circle of his family, who all seemed sad to see their beloved leader leave. Then, Merlin turned towards Leon and bowed to him. Familiarity struck him- he'd seen this before, that first glorious encounter, back when... But that was gone now, it was the past- behind him. He had a far brighter future than this. Yet. Yet... He would miss them. Merlin turned tail and fled the scene he would miss so, despite his destiny: the clearing before the cave, his pack- but most of all, his almost-son.

* * *

><p>Once again, Merlin set out to Camelot. He ran as fast as his wolf-body could carry him, faster than any man or horse. If you asked Merlin, it was still far too slow.<p>

It was well past midday when he finally arrived. He could hear the noises from far away. It sounded just like any other time there was something big going on- a tournament, the spring festival, Arthur's birthday... Merlin's heart ached with homesickness. It was a good thing he knew he'd be able to come back. Had his Dragonlord powers not returned, it would have destroyed him, Merlin knew, seeing his home even more happy and free than before.

Merlin made himself invisible, went through the gates and weaved through the masses in the streets. Even though he tried his best, a startled shout would drift up after him once in a while and he would occasionally knock some people over or into others. Although, if Merlin was being honest, that arrogant prat who was making room for himself with his elbows- well, he deserved it. And Sophie-the-Cook's-daughter (who had been sweet on Leo-the-messenger-boy since forever, but was incredibly shy) was probably more than glad something had pushed her into Leo's arms. Merlin thought they both deserved it, too. Looking back, Merlin couldn't keep in his wolfish grin: they were kissing. _Finally._

Merlin passed the time until the actual banquet like any other citizen of Camelot: wishing he had more everything. He gaped in awe at the acrobats and jugglers, admired crafty jewellery, smelled delicious food, laughed with the jesters, tried to find out the tricks of handy magicians and danced with lithe paws on the tones of lively music. His senses only heightened the amazing sensations and Merlin would have laughed out loud if he could. Secretly, Merlin used his magical powers to make things more fun for himself or others. He gave a frightened lost child a hunch to follow back home, multiplied coins thrown in hats unnoticed, helped acrobats jump just that little bit higher. He even made himself look like a dog to scare a cat known to scratch every child that crossed it's path, and chased it- accompanied with loud cheers from the on looking children.

He roamed the buzzing castle and discovered a make-believe training session on the deserted training grounds by a couple of kids swinging with sticks or wooden swords. Still looking like a dog, Merlin sat by the sides next to the other children and cheered the fighting ones on. He barked and wagged his tail in excitement during the "fight", butted his head to the victors' thighs and licked the losing boys' faces, who laughed and pushed him off, mock-berating him. Somehow, every child knew there was no danger coming from this big dog and they enjoyed having the kind animal around.

After a while, the Knights or the Round Table appeared on the grounds- Leon, Gwaine, Elyan and Percival. The children tried to get away, scared the Knights would berate them. Instead, Gwaine stopped them, took a wooden sword from the rack and dared them: ' Who of you thinks he can beat me?' . The boys looked at each other confused and a little bit hopeful. Merlin pushed the baker's boy forward; he hadn't seen him fight yet even though he hadn't been on the side either. Gwaine smiled kindly: ' Brave man! Come on then!' and held his arms open invitingly. The boy took a breath and tightened his grip on the little wooden sword in his hand. Then, he attacked. Merlin was a bit surprised by the following spectacle.

Gwaine was being easy on him at the start, but the fight continued and- the kid was actually quite good. He had an amazing skill for a boy his age, a baker's boy no less. After a couple of minutes, he was obviously tiring, but refusing to give up. Merlin had seen Gwaine's expression often enough during training to see he was looking for a way to make his loss believable. He shouldn't have bothered really. At the very first opportunity, Merlin made him slip.

With a heavy _oomph_ Gwaine landed on the ground. Immediately, the boy was on him and tickled him mercilessly. The boy was giggling excitedly and Gwaine squirmed and rolled around, laughing. 'I surrender, I surrender! Have mercy on a poor knight, noble warrior!', he cried and he held his hands up in the air. The little band of children was applauding their own loudly. The knights were laughing hard, secretly shooting awed looks at the boy. Merlin had a feeling he would be asked to join the younger knights' training as soon as he was the right age. Eventually, Gwaine stood up, clapped the boy on his back and said to him seriously: 'That was a very good fight. Well done.' The boy blushed and looked at his feet. 'What's your name?' 'Gareth'. Merlin had the tingling feeling he'd just witnessed something very important.

'All right, then,' Elyan suddenly yelled as he picked up the wooden sword,' who of you lot thinks he can beat _me_?' Merlin left the grounds to let the little children _–_that included the Knights- play and wave their sticks. As it was getting late and Merlin was getting hungry, he wondered: _'I wonder if the kitchen staff would notice a dead chicken dancing away?'_

* * *

><p>They didn't.<p>

* * *

><p>After enjoying the chicken he had danced very sneakily out of the kitchen (okay, so he had used the chaos following the news about Sophie an Leo kissing- there had been cheers and hugs all around and lots of grumbling-but-smiling people paying other, beaming people- the shy love couple was a bit of a legend in Lower-Camelot) Merlin turned himself invisible again. It was time for the banquet. <em>Oh joy, <em>Merlin thought. But after sitting by Arthur's side and listening to the animated and frankly amusing conversations between Arthur and Queen Annis (the sneaky woman had the incredible talent to get Arthur to babble and spill all his embarrassing childhood), he discovered it actually was. Huh, who knew?

'_Of course', _Merlin thought exasperated_._ He should have known, really: no banquet in Camelot was complete without some sorcerer trying to kill Arthur. Also, the sorcerers seemed to find mid- speech the perfect time to make a grand, diva-like entrance. Tonight's sorcerer had the worst timing Merlin had ever seen. 'Arthur Pendragon,' the sorcerer yelled loudly,' you shall pay for-' 'You have by far the worst timing I have ever seen!'' Arthur interrupted him loudly. Merlin blinked. He hadn't transferred his thoughts, had he? And then he decided, no, he hadn't, the sorcerer just had that bad a timing. The sorcerer screamed insulted: 'I do _not! _My timing is _perfect!'. _His voice went about five notes higher at the end of the sentences. _'That is just sad',_ Merlin thought pityingly. 'Well, do you _know_ what you interrupted?', Arthur asked. The sorcerer shook his head. 'Then how do you know if your timing was good or bad?' The sorcerer gaped, and opened and closed his mouth in a most brilliant fish-drowning-on-dry-land-imitation. He spluttered: ' Well, I- You- Your fa- _Gah!'. _Merlin had just enough time to think,_ 'By the gods, did he just actually stomp his foot?', _when the sorcerer shot a spell Arthur's way.

Instinctively, Merlin jumped up from behind Arthur, over his throne and in front of him. Around Arthur and himself he formed his usual protecting orb that swallowed the spell upon contact. People who hadn't jumped up yet, did so now with startled shouts. Soldiers, Knights, Kings and Queens unsheathed their swords and nobles and servants grabbed knives or daggers in almost practiced movements. Apparently, they had learned their lesson to not go to a Pendragon-banquet unarmed or unprepared. Good thinking.

Arthur shouted: 'Hold!'. Gaping, with an expression between sorrow and hope, he stretched out his hand towards the edge of the orb. When he touched it, everyone made a move as if to do something. But the orb just shimmered and did not hurt him. 'Merlin?', Arthur whispered nearly soundlessly. Merlin winced, _It's not time yet,_ and stayed as he was: invisible and between his king and the dangerous sorcerer. Because pathetic as he may be, he was still pretty powerful.

For a moment, in which Merlin knew Arthur was waiting for an answer he could not yet have, nothing happened. Arthur closed his eyes, sighed and then said: 'I'm safe'. As one, the weapons were being aimed at the attacking sorcerer only. Who had turned remarkably darker. He scoffed: ' What _dog_ dares to shame himself by protecting this disgusting king?' Merlin couldn't resist.

* * *

><p>A loud and threatening growl and bark echoed through the Great Hall, causing all the guest to jump nearly a foot in the air. The shield flickered and the sorcerer was thrown to the ground as if actually attacked by a large dog. Lying on the floor, the sorcerer looked up at something nobody else could see. 'By the Gods,' he whispered terrified, 'not a dog, a <em>wolf'. <em>The word resonated in Arthur's mind. Wolf... His dream in the cave_... _

A loud gasp- Arthur focused back on the scene before him. The sorcerer had paled considerably. 'That can't be, Emrys is dead!'. Why did that name ring a bell, Arthur wondered. Even more so as he saw Iseldir, the Druid leader and ambassador he had secretly invited, tense, widen his eyes then let his jaw drop. At that exact moment, Arthur knew it was something big, very big. Nothing ever surprised Iseldir, he had learned, and nothing ever unbalanced him. The man was close to tears of happiness, now. What was going on?

The sorcerer was struggling violently, but was held down by an invisible weight, and his eyes glowed gold. The gold then bled from his eyes and formed a small mist twirling in the air. 'No, not my magic, without it- please, I won't again, I promise on my magic' , the sorcerer begged desperately. The mist descended back down into the sorcerer, who let out a relieved sigh, then fainted. The orb disappeared and Arthur had the prickling feeling a large animal came to stand by his side. He was seriously fighting the urge to try and pet it. There was a deadly silence hanging in the air.

'What had I been saying again?' Arthur suddenly asked lightly, ' Oh yes! As long as I have proof that not all magic or every magic-owner is evil, the ban on magic will be lifted. I'd say this just proved my point.'

* * *

><p>It was later told the cheers could be heard miles away. Which was an utter lie, of course.<p>

They could be heard everywhere, echoed by the land and in the hearts of its people. Albion was close.

* * *

><p><em>Kilgarrah<em>, Merlin sent to his brother, _it has begun. Show yourself as quick as you can, _please_. I can't stand this skin any longer._

Two minutes later, a young messenger boy- who happened to be Leo- burst into the Great Hall, where a party was starting to get in full swing: ' Sire, a talking dragon!'. Merlin was pleasantly surprised. It was nice to know people followed your orders once in a while. He now understood why Arthur had that expression on his face whenever he did something without complaining or even without being ordered to. It was really nice.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

** I am SO sorry, this took me so frickin 'long! Back in May, I couldn't continue my story (I was somewhere around _'Oh, right, because I could easily live in court as a _wolf.') because I discovered my very first boyfriend was a shit boyfriend (he had two girlfriends at the same, me and some other girl) and stupid on top of that (he was boasting about it on Facebook and thought he could get away with it because we girls both don't have one- we both broke up with him. He's still sending pathetic texts begging to be forgiven, the arse), and I just couldn't get myself to write a happy ending. After that, I just kind-of forgot about it, and then there were exams, and volunteering, and classmates **- after three years me thinking them silly and shallow as a puddle, and them thinking me an uppity ice-bitch-**who turned out to be awesome but only after they discovered I wasn't** **_actually_ an Ice-Queen with no feelings, and they threatened and insulted him for me ( I'm not a good cusser) and took me places with them (16 and my first time shopping NOT with my mother) to feel better,... I was busy,yeah? Sorry. And then, when it's finally summer and I have the time and ideas to write again, my charger broke (everything is on this tablet). Honest to god, I nearly cried. Anyway, my mother finally agreed to get me a new one. And then forgot about it for a good month and a half. But now I have one, and everything is MERTHUR BROMANCE and nothing hurts! Also, trailer for new season = LOVE! **

**OK, rant over. Cheers, loves, enjoy the chapter!**

** - MG**

'Why isn't the castle preparing for an attack?', Sir Kay asked Gwaine, who had been riding in front of him, but was now riding next to him. Presently, the King and nearly all his Knights were riding quite calmly towards a large clearing a small distance away to _meet a dragon. _Well, when I say calmly- all Knights but those of the Round Table were antsy and nervous, unconsciously checking their armor and sword, ready for battle. Although one of the newer, low-born Knights, Kay had earned himself quite a reputation of bravery- which was why the other Knights had pushed him forwards to ask the question that was in all their minds. Obviously.

'Do you remember Merlin?' Gwaine asked back. Kay frowned, not understanding what he had to do with things. But as a matter of fact, he did.

'Merlin was impossible to forget! He'd seen before anyone else my sister was sick and alerted Gaius in time- saved her life, Gaius said, it'd nearly been too late to cure her. I suspect he dropped my name to Sir Leon, and got me a Knight's training. He was important to many of us in Camelot.'

'I understand that completely' Gwaine nodded, 'More than you know, really. I suspect Arthur will tell the court the whole story soon enough, but I will tell you this: he was a Dragonlord.' Kay nearly fell off his horse from the shock of it: 'What?!' Gwaine looked at him, amused.

'Have you never seen him sneaking around and suddenly a problem sorted itself out? Have you never wondered why he seemed so noble and experienced, so extraordinarily wise and powerful, when he thought no-one was looking? It was in his blood. He was born with magic and received his heritage when Balinor died. He has used both to protect Camelot ever since he arrived' ,the experienced Knight explained.

And something clicked for the young Knight, and memories of strange happenstances drifted to the forefront of his mind and were suddenly clarified.

'Still, I don't understand: the dragon?-'

'Has no ill intentions towards King Arthur, or Camelot, whatsoever', Gwaine replied. Kay scoffed, 'The last dragon-' '-Is', Gwaine interrupted again,'the same as this one and does not hate Camelot, at all'. Kay's frown betrayed his disbelief. As citizen of Camelot since birth, he had seen the Great Dragon's destruction and would swear like any other that the Great Dragon hated Camelot ( also, he thought Prince Arthur had killed it) .

Gwaine sighed and admitted: 'All right, he did hate Uther. Wouldn't you? Had you been locked up for twenty years, what would you do as soon as you got free?' Kay didn't need even a second to answer: 'Take revenge'. Gwaine nodded,

'And what better way to hurt a King, than hurt his Kingdom? Uther was not exactly a good King, but you and I both know he loved Camelot. That is why the Dragon attacked. Arthur, Merlin and the Knights went out to kill the dragon, but as they were both the last of their kind, Merlin couldn't kill the dragon. He offered him mercy and freedom outside Camelot's borders in return to the safety of every citizen of Camelot -well, actually, every human in Albion- and the Dragon realised his mistake. He gave advice to Merlin before he was released and has done it again after the confrontation. Like Merlin, he has been our secret saviour in hours of need. I've been told he even forged Excalibur for Arthur with his own breath. I hope I've given you enough information to understand why we're not worried.'

After these unusually wise and serious words, Gwaine left his side to ride more forward. Kay looked down at his horse's mane until the group reached the large clearing, thinking and - slowly but surely- changing his view of Camelot's recent history. And the more he did this, the less tense he became. He understood now. Merlin had been the farthest from evil you could get, and if Merlin had magic, then magic wasn't like King Uther used to say. Truthfully, very few in Camelot entirely believed all magic was bad. Most inhabitants of Camelot knew that Uther _had_ sort of _made_ the sorcerers attack them.

He was the only Knight not belonging to the Round Table who did not take a step back as the Great Dragon landed. He felt kind of proud of it, too.

* * *

><p>'Good evening, Sire', the Great Dragon said and then he nodded to the others, 'Knights'. King Arthur nodded back, as the Knights of the Round table bowed.<p>

'Good evening to you too, Kilgarrah. I hope you are well?'. Kilgarrah grinned, causing the Knights to shift because _look. At. Those. Teeth. _'O', Kilgarrah said happily, 'I am much better now than I have been in a long while and I am certain that you will be, too, soon.' Arthur nodded, glad to hear that. He didn't let the riddle bother him too much, Gaius had told him about his cryptic talking style. He actually didn't sound so mysterious.

'How fares the young Aithusa? I was looking forward to finally meeting him.' 'He left a good two years ago, I haven't seen him since. Although I strongly suspect we will see him very soon.'

For some obscure reason the Dragon's eyes kept returning to a spot right next to Arthur's thigh, but he said none of it. He wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to know why, exactly.

'I take it', Arthur said then, 'you have come here to celebrate the official lifting of the ban on magic in Camelot- though how you know is a mystery?' 'Mmmm', Kilgarrah answered smugly, 'That, too'. Puzzled, Arthur looked at his Knights, who shrugged back and shook their heads, then back: 'Then why are you here?' 'You must see so for yourself. I will take you- and you alone- to another clearing and you will be shown the reason for my presence.' ' Why can't you just tell me?' 'Because you will not believe until you have witnessed it with your own eyes.' Arthur was taken aback by this answer. _What could possibly-?_ He took a deep breath and said:' Very well. I will come with you to the clearing. How will we get there?' In response, Kilgarrah merely smirked. Arthur swallowed.

* * *

><p>'All right', Arthur said softly, sitting on Kilgarrah's ( <em>whose left paw seemed to be wrapped around thin air- how strange,<em> Arthur noticed) back, ' I've never flown before and my Knights are _right there,_ so I'd appreciate it if you take it nice and slo- WOAAAH!'

* * *

><p>As soon as they landed, Arthur slid off the Dragon's back. He swallowed a couple of times, gulped deep breaths and waited for his knees to stop trembling. Had the Great Dragon not been there, he would have been sorely tempted to sink to his knees. He had the distinct feeling the Dragon was silently laughing at him. Although no amusement was apparent as he said: 'I had thought you would take to it from the first flight, like Merlin' And again, his eyes shifted to the air next to him.<p>

Arthur already knew that he wouldn't enjoy flying unless he had Merlin with him, because he was a Dragonlord after all and-

He hadn't felt it, Arthur realized with a start. The dull stab he usually felt when thinking about Merlin- it hadn't occurred. As a matter of fact, he hadn't felt it at the feast either. He should have- by the gods, he should have, especially with a protective shield looking so familiar. But he hadn't. As a matter of fact, he felt like he hadn't for a long time: not lonely. As if there was someone by his side, with a hand on his shoulder, whispering sweet nothings like _you'll be all right,_ _we'll be all right,_ _it's going to be okay _and_ meant it._

Now that Arthur was focused on what he was feeling, he noticed something else. 'Do you feel that?' he asked. The Dragon looked at him with an unsettling amount of surprise: 'You feel something?' The Dragon was acting strange, Arthur thought. It seemed strangely unsure of itself.

'There's wrongness in the air. Something bad happened nearby. An unnatural stillness attached to the earth. Like an ancient battlefield. It's long gone, but still ', he turned on his heels and pointed West, 'There.' 'Lead the way, then, My Lord', said the Dragon and it followed him, crashing through the trees, creating the only sound that could be heard in the silent forest.

As they neared the source of whatever was wrong, Arthur felt torn between the stillness of his surroundings and the not-loneliness in his heart. His uneasiness intensified with every step he took, untill it nearly overruled the imaginary warmth on his shoulder. As he advanced, the treelife became sicklier, and thinned. The undergrowth withered and died and there was nothing but row upon row of sickened trees. Eventually, even trees appeared dead with an increasingly alarming rate. There was no new life to be found.

Finally he came to a clearing where there was _nothing at all, _the air pregnant with wrongness. No tree, or bush, herb or flower stood, and even the grass had been swallowed by death and replaced by sand and barren stone. A perfect circle of wasteland and in it, under the pale moonlight, the remains of a large beast could be seen. When Arthur stepped closer hesitantly, he recognized it as belonging to the monster that took Merlin.

Anger and hatred, bitter as bile, rose in him as he looked down on the monster that had stolen his other half. This, this pathetic thing had taken what in moments of weakness had been his everything, had been his light in his darkest hours, his rock. All lost because of _this._ And it didn't even have the decency to give Arthur the satisfaction of killing it.

Some kind of magic had backfired on him and had caused his death and this destruction. It must have had to do with Merlin. If he had been indeed as powerful, his destiny as bound to the land as he was told, as he had learned from his secret lessons on magic... Sometimes sorcerers absorbed the power of the ones they defeated. When Merlin had killed Nimueh, he had received the power to Mirror Life and Death. Maybe the magical beast- for what other than magic could have withstood Merlin?- hadn't been able to take it and it had resulted in this. This devastation. It seemed fitting somehow: a dead scar in the King's land, as there was a scar in his heart.

He would have continued thinking like that if the Dragon hadn't crashed into the clearing behind him. He turned to him. 'Why am I here?' he hissed. There was no answer, merely a sigh from the Dragon. He kicked the remains of the beast in anger. He raised his voice and asked again: 'Why am I here? Why would you show me this- this cruelty? Is this your idea of punishment? A lesson, maybe: "This is the price of your failure"? Are you that cruel? Damn you, answer me!' The Great Dragon' s expression merely showed understanding and compassion, which angered Arthur even more: 'What?!' 'None of those, young King', Kilgarrah said calmly. 'I bring good news. The best of news, truthfully. _I _think', he suddenly mused ' it's better you lower your defenses. Show yourself. He can feel the magic. The change will work.' Arthur blinked. 'What?'

* * *

><p>A loud, happy bark suddenly sounded next to him and Arthur jumped a foot in the air in surprise with a yelp. He jumped back and drew his sword. 'Show yourself!' he demanded and waved his sword threateningly at nothing in particular. <em>'Calm down, prat<em>', something said fondly in his head. _'Was that-' ,_he thought, _'Had that been-?'_

The air in front of him rippled as you could sometimes see on a warm summer day, but in the shape of a dog. A very large dog. The air rippled again, and the dog-figure became more consistent, as if it was now a shadow. A third wave- the three ripples had taken less than a couple of seconds-and before him stood a large wolf, black-furred, blue-eyed, wolf-grinning. He recognized it as the wolf from his hallucination caused by the snowstorm, the wolf from the cave, _his _wolf._ Hello, Arthur. _

Excalibur fell from Arthur' s limp fingers, throwing up dirt as it landed. 'M-Merlin?' Arthur whispered no louder than his breath, desperately hoping, praying, begging- _'Yes.' _A happy, strangled noise forced itself out of Arthur's throat and he threw himself forward with open arms. Merlin did so too, and they met in the middle and did not let go. Arthur dug his fingers in the soft, black fur like he had done before and buried his face in the space between Merlin's neck and shoulder, as Merlin buried his nose in Arthur's hair.

'You're _alive',_ Arthur whispered, 'Gods, you're alive! I thought I'd dreamt it, your eyes in the cave, that I was going mad, but I wasn't, 'cause you're _here_ and _alive._ Oh, Merlin, _Merlin!' _He let out a muffled laugh that didn't sound entirely sane, and broke and turned into a sob while he pulled the wolf closer and buried himself deeper in its warm fur. 'Please be alive, Merlin. Don't let me be mad, don't make this a dream, don't- don't be _dead!'_. His voice broke on the last word. _'Please!'_, he pleaded. The wolf whined softly and licked his ear. _'I'm not',_ Merlin soothed, _'I'm here, I'm real, Arthur. It's all right. It's going to be all right. I promise.'_ Arthur continued shifting between happily sobbing and desperately pleading in Merlin's fur for a while, while Merlin continued comforting him through it. When Arthur had finally calmed down enough he pulled back to look at Merlin-as-wolf. Then, quick as lightning, he hit Merlin on the head. Merlin growled. _'That's_ for dissappearing on me for a good two years, _idiot.'_

_'Oh, right, because I could easily live in court as a _wolf.' Merlin answered sarcastically. Arthur had to admit he had a point there. 'But why make us believe you were dead? _I_- I mean, _Gwen_ and _Gaius_ were heartbroken. Gwaine insulted me an awful lot of times.' Merlin had not missed the badly covered confession of heartbreak and looked on fondly. '_You would have been a stubborn ass, and tried to make it work anyway, or risked your life questing uselessly for a way to change it. I know you_.' And he did, because that was what he was planning on doing anyway, until he realized- 'Uselessly? You mean there _isn't_ a way to fix you? At all?' The warlock and the dragon exchanged glances. '**_Well_**?' , he asked. '_Here' s the thing …_', Merlin explained, as shortly as he could, his life since the Last Hunt.

'Hang on!', Arthur interrupted at the end, 'What would you need me for? You're the two most powerful magic beings, how could I possibly help?' _' Our destinies have always been one. Being together makes us stronger',_ Merlin answered, '_You didn't, by any chance notice a difference, somehow, inside?' _Arthur's eyes widened. He had! The warmth, the strength, the absence of tension, the love. _'That's _mydestiny?!' , he asked. Merlin nodded._ ' That's _our_ destiny', _he said. Arthur hadn't been this deliriously happy in a long time.

* * *

><p>It was ridiculously easy, in the end.<p>

They sat on the bare forest floor, eyes closed, connected to each other- hand on fur, paw on claw, claw on shoulder. They taught Arthur his line, which he studied diligently until it flowed off his tongue, and told him to concentrate on the feeling of destiny and images of Merlin, as they each recited their line.

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_That's enough, my friend'_

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_Prat'_

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_Mmm? Oh, I read it in a book once_'

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_Rise and shine!'_

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_I'll be happy to be your servant until the day I die'_

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_Were you worried about me?'_

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_Oh, what's that Wildren eating? It's all right, it's just Merlin'_

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_I never doubted you'_

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_I'm gonna be at your side, like I always am, protecting you'_

'Cennestre grundwæg, tó lǽdan ús tó þære beorht tóweardnesse, ágénbewende mec mín æcene aaron in sáwle and æ!'

'_Arthur!'_

_Arthur, always Arthur, never sire, or prince or king;_

_ just Arthur, Merlin's Arthur, like Merlin was Arthur's, in soul and destiny and dreams;_

_ together;_

_ Merlin and Arthur, Arthur and Merlin; _

_one like the other, different sides, yet of the same coin; _

_as one, the same, the same, the same…_

* * *

><p>The golden light was first in Merlin's eyes, shining like the stars, the moon and the sun together. Then his whole body seemed to shine bright, and brighter and brighter, until both Arthur and Kilgarrah had to look away. Eventually, the light dimmed. They were still connected- hand on arm, hand on claw, claw on shoulder. Arthur's hand tightened his grip on Merlin's arm- <em>arm<em>!- and all three let out a relieved sigh to find Merlin back in human form.

Arthur rose and helped Merlin, wobbling like a newborn foal on long-unused legs, up. He took off his royal, Pendrago- red cloak and threw it around his friend's shivering, fur-less, naked form. As he did, he hugged him again, Merlin's forehead on his shoulder. 'Don't ever leave me again, old friend' , he whispered in his ear. 'Wasn't planning to', was whispered back. They unfolded and climbed wordlessly on Kilgarrah's back. This time, Arthur did enjoy the flight, sitting behind Merlin and holding tightly onto him, drinking in long-missed laughter and whooping along.

* * *

><p>There were a lot of joyful tears and hugs that night, tearful reunions and mock-scolding for worrying them so, and so on and so forth. The festivities, held on hold by the threat of the Dragon, burst out upon Merlin and Kilgarrah's impressive fire-and-magic show. Camelot rejoiced, peasants and nobles dancing with each other, since the line was becoming even vaguer by the minute. The celebrations lasted deep into the night and through the following day. A new Era had truly come: good magic was officially back, the dearly missed-and until recently missing- Merlin was back and appointed Court Warlock, and their great King was truly, completely happy again.<p>

Later, Arthur would secretly look up the words he had chanted with all his heart and soul, most importantly _æcene aaron_, which had struck such a cord within him, and their shared destiny. When he found their meaning, their use made perfect sense. All the words' did:

'Mother Earth, to take us to the bright future, return to me my eternal brother in soul and life'

**That's it, loves, hope you enjoyed it. I'd like to thank all of you for reading and reviewing, one of the two, or both, doesn't matter really. as long as you had a good time. Special thanks to my faithful reviewer, Knighted Geek. Thanks SO much darling. Bye!**


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